Petrolo
Bòggina A 2017
Val d'Arno di Sopra DOC
Bòggina “A” is made in amphora as a historical testament to Tuscany; terracotta has always played a key role in the region, and since the early Etruscan period, the art of creating and using vases of terracotta has evolved over the centuries in the small village of Impruneta near the Petrolo estate. The Etruscan connection to the Petrolo estate runs deep, as the Petrolo hill was an Etruscan settlement and fortification.
VINEYARD
Bòggina is the oldest vineyard on the Petrolo estate, and the source of Petrolo’s most prized Sangiovese vines. Planted in 1952 by the grandfather of proprietor Luca Sanjust, it spans 13 acres. It is planted to a density of 5,500 vinese per ha and is cordon spur trained. The yield per plant is notably restricted (max 2.5 lbs per vine plant), allowing a concentration of all the noble components of the grape, fundamental for the full-bodied character of this wine.
WINEMAKING
Grapes are hand-harvested and then further selected on a sorting table. The wine undergoes a two-week open-air fermentation with indigenous yeasts in two terracotta amphorae of 300 liters each. The amphorae are then hermetically sealed, and the wine is left on its skins for six months. After this six month period, the skins are removed, and aging continues in amphorae for another six months. The natural porosity of the terracotta allows for a slow ingress of oxygen into the wine, avoiding excess reduction. No sulfites are added during this process, as the extended contact of the wine with the skins establishes a natural level of protection against oxidation.
TASTING NOTE
Extremely refined and beautiful with tight density of fruit and polished, linear tannins. Full to medium body and a bright, beautiful finish. Iron and stones, too.
-James Suckling
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Sangiovese
Appellation
Val d'Arno di Sopra DOC
Farming
Organic
Alcohol
13%
Suggested Retail Price
$75.00
Reviews
"Fresh and bright"
James Suckling - November 14, 2019
"This is a rich yet fresh and bright red with strawberries and hints of citrus. Layered and fruity. Focused dark fruit. Shining. Made in amphora."
"Very spicy and sassy expression"
Wine Advocate - February 11, 2020 "Hitting the market now, the 2017 Val d'Arno di Sopra Bòggina A is a very spicy and sassy expression of amphorae-aged Sangiovese. There are elements of crushed white pepper and cardamom that create sharp accents against the relative richness and darkness of the fruit at its core. This is an extremely sunny expression of the grape, with immediate richness and dark fruit intensity. You feel the heat of the vintage in terms of the aromas, but the wine is still crunchy and fresh in the mouth. Only 1,000 bottles were made in this vintage, compared to average annual production that hovers near 5,000 bottles."
Reviews
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Bòggina B
Toscana IGT
Bòggina B is a little bit of Burgundy with a Tuscan twist. The wine is made with 100% Trebbiano Toscano. The clone of the Valdarno has been known for its quality since the 1300s, when it was regularly sent to the popes in Rome and the courts of Florence. Petrolo has been using Trebbiano grapes for its sweet vinsanto for decades, but owner Luca Sanjust decided that the time had come for a tribute to the great whites of Valdarno’s past. The wine is made under the guidance of one of Burgundy’s greats, Mounir Souma of Lucien Le Moine.
Torrione
Val d'Arno di Sopra
Torrione is made primarily from Sangiovese grapes, both those that come from historic vines of the 1970s and ones more recently planted with high density. The yield per plant is notably restricted, allowing a concentration of all the noble components of the grape, fundamental for the full-bodied character of this wine. The fruit intensity and its black character make it a comparison to Brunello at several times the price.
Bòggina C
Val d'Arno di Sopra
Boggina is bottled from the best barrels of Sangiovese produced each year from the Boggina hill, planted in the 1950’s by Luca’s grandfather. Bòggina is the oldest vineyard on the Petrolo estate, and the source of Petrolo’s most prized Sangiovese vines.
Galatrona
Val d'Arno di Sopra
Galatrona is a cru made entirely from Merlot grapes coming exclusively from a single vineyard planted in the early ‘90s. Year after year, it is recognized critically (the “Le Pin of Tuscany” by Wine Spectator, for example) but, more importantly, understood as being a reflection of its site far more than its grape varietal.
